commentaries

Women deserve more time off - paid - when they have children and those that choose to stay at home to raise them should also receive some sort of break or compensation. Only when this happens will things be fair. Making women into men - subject to the same conditions despite the obvious differences (especially when it comes to childbearing) only serves to set women back. If you want justice (note how I avoid the word "equality" since men and women will never be the same thing), then we need to allow women the same opportunities and pay as men, but also allow them to still be women too.

When people quit acting like they are victims I will take them seriously. My daughters have had more opportunities because they are women thanks to the so-called feminists. Women working the same job as a man, with the same level of experience, education and seniority make the same amount as men. If a woman is limited by anything it is her own doing.

A woman's movement was needed. It was needed to make sure that all women could do as they wished and not based on the fact that they are a woman. However, to this male, it has tons of problems and lost its balance. Not only now do we want more women in college, but certain feminists think that the world is only ok if more women are in college than men. If men criticize women, we are misogynist. It is stated often still that women make less on the dollar, though that idea has certainly been challenged by many. It's often become elitist and a conversation piece for intellectuals, and there seems to be little concern for poor women, other than lips service that these elitists know little about. In addition, though men are supposed to, according to the rules of feminism, always be supportive of women's issues, any issues that men have are considered unimportant and generally irrelevant. Until the women's movement becomes more inclusive and balanced, millions of men like myself who used to be supportive, now just turn off the radio or TV whenever the subject comes up. And for good reason.

U.S. women's movement succeeded, though sexism persists --- of course it does in certain circles. The best boss I ever worked for was female. She was a leader extrodanaire. No other boss has come close to her abilities and the loyalty she instilled into her direct reports and teams.

Sexism persists and women still use their sexuality in the workplace and outside the workplace to get what they want. I'll stop acting in a sexist manner when women quit dressing and acting suggestively.

American women continue to be the most privileged and pandered to group in the history of the world. They control more wealth and how it is spent, and live longer than men. No draft for women. They rule family law and get the children and child support in 90% of cases. Give me a break! They don't have to get elected because men give them nearly everything that they want.

If you think Bachmann was taken "unseriously" because of hair and makeup, then you need to read some other publications as well.

Feminism is sexism, pure and simple, and has nothing – absolutely nothing -- to do with gender equality. To your everyday feminist, equality is defined by the extent to which women have every conceivable privilege, first consideration, allowance, exemption, etc. To give just one example, feminists forever whine in scornful, indignant tones that the halls of government and rosters of Fortune 500 CEO's are "male-dominated.” Male domination in the matters of military casualty lists and occupational mortality statistics, however, troubles them not in the least. Such blatant sexist hypocrisy. If there are to be equal rights, privileges, and opportunities, then there must be equal responsibilities and obligations. If perceived inequities in the former deserve consideration, irrefutable inequities in the latter deserve no less. Oh that feminists may someday gain a clue in this regard. (I won’t hold my breath.)

A couple of readers think that women expect rights but won't take such responsibility. That is not true. When registration for the draft was reinstated,National Organization for Women (NOW) took a position that women should also accept that responsibility. The problem is that there is not enough history taught about 2nd wave feminism in the schools. Also thank you for including a picture of Betty Ford, who did much in her day to advance the cause of women. Maybe the Republican Party of today could learn something from her.

NOW supports continued awards of children to mothers in direct contradiction to the idea of shared parenting. How this NOW policy is for equal rights and responsibilities needs explaining by NOW supporters.